 Welcome everyone to a special episode of the non-profit show. We are broadcasting live from the Cultivate Conference in beautiful San Diego, California. We have some special guests today that are going to be joining us. This is a really exciting opportunity that Fundraising Academy at National University has been working on. And so I can't wait to dig in and to really kind of find out what's going on at Cultivate and what we can kind of expect moving forward. Before we get going, I want to remind everyone that I'm Julia Patrick, CEO of the American Non-profit Academy, joined today by the non-profit nerd herself, Jared Ransom, CEO of the Raven Group. Oh, that's right. We got to get on our... Our air glasses are here. Our air glasses. So now it is official. Now it is official. Hey, we are here because of the largesse from our presenting sponsors. And they include Bloomerang, American Non-profit Academy, your part-time controller, non-profit thought leader, Fundraising Academy at National University, where we are with who we're with today, Staffing Boutique, non-profit nerd and non-profit tech talk. These are the folks that allow us to come in now 800 episodes plus in our fourth year. So we met the wonderful Tony Bell when we were very young. Yeah. It was very early on. It was very early on. You kept inviting me back. Thank you. Well, you know, we loved what you had to say. So we're like, we got to get this dude back on. But anyway, if you want to find out what we were talking about four years ago, you can find us in our archives. They're very robust. And you can join us live as hopefully you are today. We find us through our streaming broadcasts, our podcasts, and now our sexy new app that the team led by Kevin Pace, our executive director, is created. Tony Bell, one of our favorites here with us, also known to some of us as Mr. Non-Profit, he has been out and about. Talk to us about what Cultivate is and how you all came up with this idea even. Yeah. So, so Pearl Hoagland, who has been on the show and is the director of the Fundraising Academy. Two years ago, we had done an event for all three of our programs for Harmony Inspire and the Fundraising Academy. And we call that power of engagement. And it was a really awesome virtual conference that we put on. It was, it was very heavily focused on school districts because our Harmony program is social emotional learning curriculum for pre-K through six. So we know that there's benefits, you know, in terms of our curriculum at the Fundraising Academy for school districts, but not so easily recognized by a district. So we participated in that. It was a little square peg round hole, given the audience and the other, I mean, we made it, we made it fit. But it was, you know, I mean, the audience just wasn't really emerging fundraisers and the folks that we typically educate through our, through our programs. So we were like, you know, the Fundraising Academy needs something and something of their own for lack of a better term. So that kind of marinated and then about a year ago as we were entering the fiscal year, which for us starts July 1. And we're putting together our business plans and our KPIs, all these things people love to hear, right? Business plans, KPIs. That's my presentation later is all about KPIs. So keep nerding out. So anyway, so we're putting together all of this for, for, you know, FY 23. And we were like, okay, this will be the year. Let's, let's put it on paper that this will be the year that the Fundraising Academy hosts its own conference. And so we're hosting, of course, in the backyard of National University right here in San Diego, folks from all over, you know, Southern California and other places around the country are joining us today. And it's just been a really exciting journey. For anyone that's done this before, you know, there's a lot of anxiety of course. And, you know, you want to make sure because the last thing you want to do is put something out there that isn't relevant and valuable, right? Right, most time is so important. And you're asking them, you know, in the case of this conference that there's a tuition, so to speak, to attend, right? So you want to make sure whatever you're creating is super meaningful for the folks attending. But it was so much fun coming up with the name and the pillars and we'll talk a little bit more about that but just, you know, come up with the name and the pillars and working and marketing to create the logos and, and, you know, coming up with the leadership, you know, the training tracks and all of that. So it's a full on one day conference with a keynote and, you know, in different tracks for folks to engage in and yeah, 150 plus. Yeah, it's very inspiring. And Tony, you knocked it out of the park because really, you know, the conference is about these three taglines, relationships, knowledge and impact. And as you were speaking about the room, you know, filling up here, it's like an atrium filling up this morning. The energy of people is just so magnetic, right? And as you said, people you've worked with for three years and haven't seen in person, we've had the good fortune we met last year in person. But it's really just, it's intoxicating because people are so excited to be here to build and deepen these relationships that exist within these boxes, right? Like just to have that opportunity. So a day packed, packed full. There's, I believe there's a leadership track and there's a general track. There's a general fundraising track and an executive leadership track. Well, talk to us about that because I think this is really interesting. How and why did you decide to do that? Have take that approach with an in person event. Right. So, well, you know, we all know fundraising is a team sport. And the more that our entire team understands fundraising and contribute and contribute to those efforts, the better off all of our organizations are going to be so we were really intentional about creating something that could be meaningful for the board members for folks that just care about nonprofits for volunteers. But also, you know, for CEOs and executive directors that that might want just, you know, some other topic, you know, other than just fundraising strategies and tactics. So that was like boring KPIs, boring KPIs. But I'm starting on a panel later on that I'm super excited about it's, you know, leading with authenticity and really about being who you are as a leader and empowering others to model that kind of behavior. So yeah, I'm just so excited about the day. That's a good one. Yeah. And I'm seeing that coming up more and more. And I feel like during COVID Tony, I feel like so many of us are just eager to be fully who we are going to embrace our own authenticity. So I can't wait for that panel discussion. Yeah, I'm looking forward to that too. Yeah. What else so we talked about the three pillars, the entire fundraising Academy team is here all of our trainers. Oh, we have a movie site. Here we go. A movie site. In the States, watch out. So that's really impressive given that he's been in South America, Central Asia. And he's in America. Yeah, and he's right here in the flesh. So that's cool. It's not a glitch on your computer. That's what I want to know. He's taller than Tony. Most people are. Most people are. LaShonda's here. LaShonda and people will be joining tomorrow. LaShonda is going to make a sighting as well. Maybe not quite as exciting as movies. Welcome everyone. How are you doing? Good, good. LaShonda, this is great. Now, are you going to be presenting here at Cultivate today? Yes, I will. A session is at two o'clock. I will be co-presenting with Adriana. We're very excited. We'll talk about building donor trust and loyalty. Wonderful. So one of the many interesting topics that you are offering here at Cultivate. Awesome. LaShonda, you're one of our favorites. We always love having you on. And so this will be really fun. I wish that I could be in your session today. Because I really, I will hone you in. I will channel you in spiritually. There you go. Yes. I'm definitely filling all of your positive energy. Yes. It's going to be fabulous. And LaShonda will actually be moderating my panel for me. So I'm really excited for that. And then she and Muhee, again, we'll be back on tomorrow. As we do our ask and answer live. So excited for that. Very. She's going to rock. Okay. It'll be really good. You know, tomorrow is going to be a little different because we're going to be asking and answering questions with Muhee and LaShonda more about their journey into fundraising and how they got started and what they've done. Right. And so this is something we haven't really ever done. And so I'm very excited about kind of turning the table a little bit and learning more about what they have done to become so successful for good and for bad. And so I think it's going to be a lot of fun, a lot, a lot of fun. So thank you so much. Definitely. We'll keep the audience on their toes. I have no doubt. So tons of cliffhangers. So definitely tune in again. If we ever need another co-host. I'm just saying. Right. I love being your guest. It's an honor. It's really cool. You know, while we have the three of you together in talking about these pillars and moving, you know, our sector forward and building professionalism and a return to events, using the word cultivate is such an inspiring word. And maybe, Tony, maybe you're the one to answer this. But how did you choose that word? Wow. Do you recall? I'm trying to recall. Do you know the exact story how we got there? We had many brainstorming sessions. Our team is truly a think tank in itself. And we talked about words that were action driven that were relative to fundraising that were applicable in all facets of fundraising. And then the heart of fundraising is through the cultivation of relationships, which you see so perfectly on the logo, right? Like it's just, it's so thoroughly thought out. I really, I really appreciate it. I think of the cost selling cycle and how, you know, it's, we're always moving through these conversations and these engagements with our donors, with our prospects, with our communities. It's, it's an interesting word because cultivation is not a one point thing. You know, if you look at it as you're always navigating that and working with that, that mindset, it kind of changes things. Well, and I too, it's talking to a gardener, Julia, who, it really is about cultivating your crops, cultivating your constituency, cultivating your community. And you're right. It's not a one and done. Right. You can't just plant the seed and then automatically expect that big foam check and Ed McMahon to show up. Right. Like that's going to happen. Yeah. Never. Yeah. Well, Ed McMahon showed up. It would really be a miracle. It would be. That's a whole other episode. Oh my God. That's hilarious. It's multifaceted. That was one of the reasons why that was the lead word, because we're talking about knowledge. The more we know about our donors, the more we know about the philanthropic space, the better and more efficient we become. We're talking about the relationships, obviously the heart. And most importantly, we all want to be impactful. No one wants to, to waste their time. They want to be able to make significant increases and impact on their organization. For sure. Yeah. I love that. Well, you guys are just always, always so inspiring. And I'm just thrilled that we could be with you today. Broadcasting live in San Diego at the Cultivate conference with our friends at fundraising academy at national university. Jared, you are going to be speaking later on today. Talk briefly about that before you bring somebody else in. Let me think about that. So I forget the name of the, of it, but it is. Thank you. Thank you. Measuring your fundraising team's success. Key metrics and insights. So I am talking and nerding out about KPIs, right? Like what are the things that you as a leader, and it is the executive leadership track. So what is it that we should be tracking to determine our measurements of success for our nonprofit development teams, right? Like what is that? And so I'm going to give some, some key KPIs, right? Here's, here's a slew of them. And I'm going to recommend like, don't pick all of them. Oh my goodness. Can you imagine? Can you imagine that dashboard? So don't pick all of them, but find, find a few, be consistent. And really just narrow it down. So the conversation itself is 45 minutes, 30 minutes, presentation, 15 Q&A. LaShonda is going to keep me on my toes and keep me on my timing. Yeah. So really just, you know, talk about that because I've seen it and I'm curious if the two of you have. Where's too many development departments do not have metrics of success. That's true. They just say, go raise the money. This is what we need to raise, but there's no measurement of, we want you to bring in X amount through this appeal or, or through, you know, moves management. I don't see moves management in there. So I'm going to talk about that. And it actually has the cost selling model, model integrated and spoiler alert also customized with a bloom ring platform. Absolutely. Love it. No, I love it. Yeah. Cause you can do that. Absolutely. It's a multifaceted. I'm excited. Yeah. Definitely. It's going to be a great session. Thank you. Thank you for joining us. This has been great. Jared, do you have some other folks? I see like looking off camera. There's a lot happening right now. Yeah. So there's a, there's a lot happening. We don't have the guests. We thought we would. And that's okay. So, uh, yeah, there's. Oh yeah. We're, we're looking everyone as a silhouette because of the light coming in through the door. So we're like, we see a lot of silhouettes moving to the, to the left here. Yeah. The one thing I did want to mention though, as we were talking about the sessions, we were very intentional about carving out time for Q and a, and we've already, we've already received feedback from our attendees about how grateful they are that we have that 15 minute block because they were just saying that that's, that's when they really get the deep understanding, right? Is in the opportunity for them to ask a question that is, you know, super relevant to the work that they do, but clearly relevant to everybody in the room. Yeah. So we're really excited to offer those Q and A's. Definitely. And that'll definitely allow the opportunity to apply because it's all about application. Right. The cost selling cycle is very applicable to all the facets of nonprofit. We want to ensure that they cultivate relationships, knowledge. I love it. You're a rock star. No, that's really, really good. I think that it's an interesting thing too, because I mean, we've all been to conferences. We're sitting in the ballroom space or whatever. And then something clicks and you don't often have that opportunity to ask. And so good for you for, you know, allowing that opportunity because that's the magic, I think. Well, and I knew too, all too often you go to a conference and you leave with a long to do list, right? Like a really long to do list. And it's a little overwhelming at times. And so when there's opportunity to engage and to really say, is this important? Like, is this something that we need to take and implement immediately? Or is this something that we can implement, you know, futureistically? And what is, what does that timeline look like? Exactly. I think that's really, really smart. Well, how exciting. I love that you did these two tracks. It's going to be very interesting to find out what your attendees are saying and how, you know, they, they've appreciated that knowledge or that maybe that defined attention to what it is that they're on their track because I don't think of conferences as doing that. You know, and so good job for you for really doing something unique and different. Because all, all things are new since we haven't been doing this for several years. And no, and we always look forward to the user and guest experience feedback. So we'll certainly have, you know, surveys going out and touching base with folks throughout the day to make sure that, you know, their expectations were met. Well, and keep in mind, this is the inaugural. So there will be another one, right? Like this is just the first of many. So really looking forward to that. And I've got to say, like, you know, when it comes to planning an event and you were mentioning this, Julia, you know, we're, we're back together. We're gathering. We are in person. Those little in person touches. Means so much down to where to park. Where's the coffee? You know, And then we laugh, but it's really those little details that put on the entire experience. And I think that is something that I personally have kind of forgotten over the last couple of years because everything's been virtual. So how do you go back to that muscle memory of having an in person event? Well, you have to remind yourself of, of the experiences that you've had, right? And we literally as a team went outside the building and walked in. Yes. And like literally did the guest experience. So when you're walking in, what's going to happen at registration, so we, so we were again, really trying to anticipate, you know, all of the needs and experiences. Yeah. That our guests today would have. And those are elements are essential to cultivation. Because the donor. The prospect, our attendees, their experience will set the tone for what their impression is of us. And we're talking about cost selling cycles. We talk about, you know, first impressions and meetings. So we're making sure that this event is the event that will not only lead a wonderful foundation, but it'll definitely lead to all types of extraordinary impact by the end of the day. Exactly. Like drop. Boom. Shonda has spoken. Shonda. You're really getting. Jared's getting ready to speak. I know. Yeah. I was checking my time. So the other. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Go ahead. No, go ahead. The other thing that we are very grateful for was the response for our call for sessions. So we, we had a good amount of folks submit. Applications to speak and present today. So, so keep an eye out for that. You know, for 2024. And those thinking of opportunities to. Be coming out soon. Yeah. So just. Lots. You know, that's great. And I appreciate that. You brought that, that forward. So you have speakers from all over coming in and they went online or if I'm not mistaken, filled out and a form and then kind of gave a rundown as to what they, they thought they could share. And then there, how many, about how many speakers are you have? Do you have today? Oh, today. We're looking at eight. I was going to say eight, but then I thought. I would be wrong. Eight. You're right. Yeah. Right. And have our keynote. So it's an odd number, but we're very excited today. And again, representing a variety of areas of nonprofit. Across the globe. We're very, very excited. You should be. Thank you. I know I have to go. Get ready for the next session. Thank you. Thank you. Good to see you. Thank you both for being. I wonder what I'll see you here shortly. Sounds good. Thank you. Thank you. So as you can see, there's a lot happening. Oh, there's another movie site. We'll be back tomorrow. Hopefully I can, I can hold them in place tomorrow. I have to lock his feet down. We don't know if he's real. I know, I know. So there's, there's a lot happening. The atrium is filling up the keynote just finished. So you might hear some of the background noises of, of everyone coming into a breakout session before they go into their next. Session. And again, there's two sessions. At each. At each hour with a lot of opportunity to engage. So that's really exciting. I'm so grateful to be here, Julia. And to, you know, bring the show here live. And I've had so many people say, you look familiar. How do I know you? And I say, oh, I'm the co-host of the nonprofit show. And then that's how I know you. So. And I do have my nerd glasses, you know, my glasses, my nerd glasses. And I do have my nerd glasses. You know, my glasses, my nerd candies, my stickers. So I have swag. Good. I love it. Well, if you are out and about in San Diego and you get a chance to meet the nonprofit nerd, make sure that you do so at cultivate today. This is really a neat thing to see Jared. And I'm thrilled that you're there. So appreciative that you have. Also engaged and sharing your knowledge and teaching attract today or teaching you. And I think that's really admirable. And it's, you know, I can just see that this is going to be something that we're gearing back up with other folks around the country, you know, thought leaders are starting to get out and do things. And so this is a really wonderful thing. We've, we've missed these learning and cultivation, dare I say, opportunities. So it's really been fun. Yeah. It's a great time to be back together. It really is. Well, Hey, everybody, I want to say thank you so much for letting us come in and share this, this time. We don't get to do too many remote broadcasts. And so it's really been fun. Again, I'm Julia Patrick, CEO of the American nonprofit Academy been joined today by the nonprofit nerd herself. You can tell by the glasses. She is, been joining us today in San Diego, California for the fundraising Academy Cultivate Conference, which is going to be moving forward next year. And so as she was talking earlier with our friends, Tony Bell and Lashonda Williams, watch out for that, because if you're somebody who you think might like to share your knowledge or make a presentation, they'll be opening that up again shortly. Again, live broadcast from National University's San Diego campus. It's been a lot of fun. And we would not be there without the generosity and support of our sponsors. They include Blumerang American nonprofit Academy, your part-time controller, nonprofit thought leader. Of course, fundraising Academy at National University, staffing boutique, nonprofit nerd and nonprofit tech talk. Again, an amazing opportunity. Thank you, Jared, for taking the show on the road. Absolutely. It's my pleasure. It's been a lot of fun. Hey, as we end every episode, whether we're in our studios or we're live at an actual event, we like to end with our mantra. And it goes like this. Stay well. So you can do well. Stay well. So you can do well.